This invention deals with a method of manufacturing permanent interlocking joints, where it is desired to snap together at least two construction pieces of a material resembling wood which can quickly be assembled to form a composite assembly. This assembly may or may not be incorporated into another assembly or it may be complete as joined. It is to make such an assembly which snap-locks together in the total absence of glue, or other adhesive material, or nails that this invention is directed.
It has been common practice to nail wooden pieces together to form an assembly. With the advent of the powered nailing devices it has even become less complicated to construct a wooden assembly. If the wooden article is to function as a piece of furniture or some other display device where appearance is of importance, the nail holes must be filled with a suitable substance before a finishing coat of varnish or some other protective coating is applied to the surface of the article.
A much slower but clearly an acceptable method of joining wooden construction pieces together is by using glue or an adhesive substance which is applied to the surfaces of the pieces to be joined. In this instance the mating surfaces which are to be joined are suitably prepared for the application of an adhesive material. After the adhesive has been applied to the mating surfaces it is standard practice to clamp the pieces undergoing the gluing process in a particular configuration. The process may require that the pieces undergoing the gluing operation be held in a suitable “jig” in order to ensure correct alignment of the pieces undergoing joining.
In any event the two surfaces which are to be joined together are either both coated with an adhesive material, or only one surface is coated. The two wooden pieces are then pressed or clamped together at the joining surfaces where the adhesive material has been previously applied until the adhesive material has set or cured. The clamping device may now be removed from the glued assembly. With this method of joining no nail holes are present to be filled before finishing the assembly.
In the woodworking and construction industries, methods of joining wooden or wooden composite members which snap-lock together in the absence of glue or nails have been sought without much success until this time.